Remaining Power
by Asmodeus1
Summary: Chapter 3 is up! R&R Plz! Vale has been destroyed by the pure and undeniable power of Alchemy. To reconstruct it, the Adepts must consult a remaining power, one that can conquer the four elements…
1. Allies and Enemies

Chapter 1  
  
"Hey Felix, would you mind giving me a hand with this tree?" Isaac yelled from the top of an infinitesimal incline, unable to lodge the large obstacle himself. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, and watched it fall to the grass that cushioned his feet. He looked to his right, and studied Felix as he came running up the slope.  
  
Felix smirked at Isaac as he approached his childhood friend, poking some fun at him. "It all comes back to Felix, doesn't it? Admit it Isaac, you'd be nothing with out me." He grabbed the side of the tree opposite to Isaac, and together then carried it to its determined destination. "Hey, I think the others went in for lunch. We're pretty safe if we-" Felix was cut off by a sudden motion of Isaac's Excalibur.  
  
Isaac smiled. "Way ahead of you buddy." The two jested back and forth, each switching between gaining ground and defending it. Their duel came to a premature end though, as the girls came out of the house.  
  
Isaac and Felix stopped in their tracks, their swords hanging limp at their sides like an unraveled yo-yo. Isaac and Felix both nodded, greeting all the girls, but in different orders. Isaac, of course, had said Mia's name first, which provoked a nudge from Felix.  
  
"So, what brings you three out here?" Isaac questioned, staring at Felix from his questionable nudge.  
  
"The villagers wanted to talk alone" Mia replied, her eyes not meeting Isaac's. "We thought it was best that we find out what you two were up to. We were right; it wasn't working."  
  
Isaac felt a slight blush in his cheeks, as Felix struggled to keep himself from laughing. Jenna, who saw Isaac's predicament, grasped for a way to change the subject. "So, where's Garet, Ivan, and Piers?"  
  
Felix took the stage this time, his laugh lost. "Garet and Piers got into another fight, so Ivan's helping them settle it in duel." He immediately saw Jenna smile; she had confided in him her largest secret during their captivity in the holds of Saturos and Menardi; Jenna had admired Garet for a long time, and, according to Isaac, Garet had a secret crush on Jenna, too.  
  
Mia nodded. "Fine, that's good enough. If you two can find the time, I think the Mayor was looking for you in the Plaza section." She pointed over another hill, the opposite direction from which the girls had come. Felix and Isaac nodded, and set off in that direction. As they left, Isaac turned back and gave the slightest wink, a signal that only he and Mia could pick up, established during their travels. Mia had to restrain herself from giggling in front of her friends, and as she turned to locate Garet and Piers, her thoughts were only of Isaac.  
  
"Alright you two" Ivan said, shifting his eyes between the two of them. "I want a good clean fight. No jabs, punches, or kicks below the belt. Whoever scores the first blood wound is the winner. No aiming to kill or injure; a mere cut will do. Do you boys understand?" Garet, brandishing his Levatine and Piers his Excalibur, both nodded, but kept their eyes locked at each other. Ivan noticed both of their nods, then replied, "Let's get it started! Go!"  
  
Piers lifted his blade for the first blow, and Garet responded in order to block; however, a physical attack was not the Mercury Adept's intention. With his blade still in the air, his eyes closed as the air became suddenly cold, as chunks of ice rained on Garet's location. Garet, caught off-guard, activated his Mars Djinni, Flash, which put up a temporary shield to keep him shielded.  
  
Now it was Garet's turn. Piers, now recovering from his Glacier attack, had no defense for Garet's now impending attack. Garet lunged forward, and as Piers seemingly established an effective block, Garet combined the might of his original blade with its unleash, as well as two more Mars Djinni. The blow was so menancingly that it shook Piers' blade and knocked the young Lemurian backwards, sprawling him out on the grass. Garet performed two back flips to turn back to his starting position, and twirled his sword. Garet was much more experienced than Piers, and it showed. Garet had traveled across five continents in the course of a few months; Piers had been restricted to Lemuria, a utopia of sorts, for most of his life.  
  
Piers, now back on his feet, lifted his blade and charged at Garet, preparing to activate a few Mercury Djinni of his own. Garet, fully prepared for a Djinn attack, was waiting to trap Piers with Psynergy. As both strategies were seconds away from meeting, a pair of voices echoed into the forest.  
  
"Garet!" "Piers!"  
  
The two males, stopping dead in their tracks, turned towards the direction from which the voices came. Jenna and Sheba emerged over the horizon, with Mia behind. "C'mon Mia, you haven't been this reluctant since we left Prox" Jenna joked, her eyes meeting Garet's. Garet had not even acknowledged the arrival of the two other girls, but was only focused on the young Mars Adept. In Piers case, Sheba and him had been together since they had returned to Vale, finding unison together where Isaac, Garet, Jenna, and Felix found unison in their families.  
  
Sheba found shelter at Piers' side, with his arm cradled around her. Garet shuffled his boots in place, sheathing his sword. Jenna, with a nudge from Mia, walked up to Garet and grabbed the materials he had been lugging back to the construction site. She smiled and said to Garet, "Don't worry. Let a big strong person like me get those for you." Garet could only feel a bit embarassed as they made the trek back to camp, with a girl carrying his stuff. Suddenly, he remembered.  
  
"Um guys, where's Ivan?"  
  
Mia looked behind her, then upwards. Finally, shaking her head, she said, "You know him. That Jupiter adept can't keep still for a minute. I'll bet my Lachesius Rule he's rode a Jupiter Djinni back to camp."  
  
The group of five laughed as they continued down the road, hoping to find relaxation back at the construction/camp site.  
  
Garet's grandfather, the mayor, nodded. "Yes, it's good that they sent you here. We're in a bit of a crisis."  
  
Isaac, puzzled, glanced at Felix, who was as confused as he was. "A crisis?" they said in unison, hints of speculation in their voices.  
  
The mayor nodded. "The Wise One has been giving us predictions since the Golden Sun rose. Also, scouting parties from Kalay and Vault have confirmed these.things.that have been the focus of the predictions."  
  
Now Isaac and Felix were even more confused than before. The Mayor, noticing this, decided to continue. "There is be a raid on the Vale, even as we now reconstruct it, and, more importantly, Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum.  
  
The guesses and speculation in the boys' eyes disappeared and were replaced by thoughts and imaginations. The last time such an attack on Sol Sanctum had happened, the lives of villagers were nearly lost and it started an incredible journey, spanning the entire world.  
  
"Now, as you two may already have guessed," the mayor said, "This cannot be allowed to happen. Since the elemental stars are now gone, the root of the power of each lighthouse rests in Sol Sanctum. If even one of these powers is interrupted, it could cause unbalance in Weyard and once again set Gaia Falls on its destruction course. Now, we have sufficient time to plan for this. Isaac, you are to take two friends of your choice, other than Felix, and take up post in Vault. Felix, you will handle the remaining three of your group and be in charge of Sol Sanctum's defense. I cannot tell you how important each of your roles. Now, hurry and set up your groups. You each will depart tomorrow morning."  
  
As Felix and Isaac left the mayor's tent, neither said a word to the other. Instead, they kept their eyes upwards, looking for a sign - any sign - of the impending but mysterious foe that awaited them. 


	2. The End of the Beginning

Chapter 2  
  
Isaac threw his sheath over his shoulder and straightened his armor. Everything had to be right for this plan to work - and Isaac, being the superstitious man that he was, hoped to make everything in his control seem right. Fixing his Mythril Helm, he yelled to the contents of the other room, "You guys ready yet?" Hearing no reply, Isaac slyly slid across the wall and peeked into the opening of the adjacent room. Seeing no immediate threat, he slid the ajar door open to its full radius and stepped in.  
  
Someone stepped out from behind the door and pinned his two arms behind his back. The mystery figure whispered in Isaac's ear, "We never did get to finish our duel." Isaac smiled and snapped out of the grab. He looked at Felix now, waiting for him to unsheath his sword and make the first move. Felix smiled and simply shook his head. "I'm not here to fight - we need to go see the mayor. I was just looking for a way to grab your attention that didn't require Mia." Isaac shot a slight glare at Felix, then, noticing he was just hoping to lighten the Venus Adept up, laughed slightly and walked out the front door.  
  
The mayor's tent was only a few feet away, so they quickly arrived. Mia, Jenna, Sheba, Ivan, Garet, and Piers were already there and standing in lines catergorized by their adept type. Garet, standing behind Jenna, had tunnel vision on her lower end of the body. Isaac and Felix walked into the empty space that was to be their line. The mayor expertly ended the silence, saying, "I'm glad you're all here. Now, since this task is highly dangerous, we would not send you out into the field using inferior equipment." All the boys felt a twine of anger - they had worked long and hard, finding materials to forge, chests with weapons inside, just to make the very weapons they had - the best currently available. Calling them inferior was blasphemy.  
  
"Therefore," the mayor continued, "Each of you will be given a blade or staff according to your alignment. These weapons have been infused with their respective elements' energy at the heart of Sol Sanctum, where the pure power of each element currently lies." The mayor handed Isaac, Felix, Garet, and Piers their respective long swords, Jenna and Ivan their short swords, and Mia and Sheba their staves. The mayor returned to the front of the tent and resumed the conversation. "Now, have you two selected your party members?"  
  
Isaac nodded and stepped forward. "For my party, I would request the services of Ivan and Mia." Mia glanced towards Isaac just as he turned to watch her reaction, and their eyes met. The gaze would have remained for days if it were not for the mayor's words. "And Felix, you are ready to take whom?"  
  
"I will enlist the help of Jenna, Garet, Sheba, and Piers," Felix replied, looking towards Isaac, whose head was currently fixated on a spot on the ground.  
  
"Well then," the mayor continued, "No need to waste time. You have been given your orders and tools. Say your goodbyes and get going." He turned and walked into his quarters. The eight adepts split into two groups, and the smaller one headed out first. Even though Sol Sanctum was at the very top of town, Vault was farther away, so the trio got the only current wagon in town. Isaac went up first on the wagon and pulled Mia up, then turned around and walked up front. Ivan jumped and struggled to pull himself up, but succeeded. "Thanks a lot, pretty boy," Ivan muttered under his breath, confused by Isaac's infatuation. The wagon then took off due south, on route for the small neighboring town called Vault.  
  
Felix was in the lead for some town now. His party was currently split into three groups: Garet and Jenna, who lagged behind the other three and make constant laughter and noise, Sheba and Piers, who followed right behind Felix and never left each other's side, and Felix himself. Felix shook his head and thought, Great, I had to get stuck with all the lovebirds. They reached the foot of Mt. Aleph and continued on, into Sol Sanctum.  
  
Without a moment's notice, Felix heard the clashing of swords. He spun around and found Garet and Piers fencing on the floor, with Jenna and Sheba at the side watching the match. Felix rose his Venus Blade up into the air, focused his mind energy, and the floor beneath them split into two separate islands, both unreachable by its sister island. "Now, will that teach you two to stop fighting? I need everyone to work together if we can stand a chance," Felix stated.  
  
Piers shook his head and pointed to Garet, "He nearly tripped Sheba!" Garet shook a fist towards Piers, exclaiming, "I was trying to catch up with the rest of the group! Calm down, cool police!" At the sound of this, Piers lept from his small island of ground towards Garet, prone to miss and fall in the depths of the Sanctum.  
  
Felix reached out a hand and grabbed Piers by his shirt. "Knock it off right now, both of you!," he said. "Learn to live with each other!" He pulled Piers back to the main path, then did the same with Garet. Opening another set of double doors, they progressed farther into the Sanctum.  
  
Isaac looked up into the sky, taking notice of the different stars and constellations. Their driver, stupidly enough had gone every direction BUT south - north to Lunpa, which nearly got them captured, west to a dead end, and east to Bilibin. It was now night, and they were approaching Vault far later than they should have. Mia, now asleep with a light blanket thrown over her, rested against Isaac as the wagon continued on.  
  
Ivan walked up from behind Isaac and sat down next to him. "How's it going?" he questioned.  
  
Isaac showed no emotion. "If we could get to Vault, everything would be fi- what the heck?" He looked out the back of the window. "Wait a second, I thought we turned around from Bilibin"  
  
The driver's right hand, holding the reigns, appeared from the large veil separating the storage area of the wagon from the front. "We did turn around from Bilbin," he muttered, in a raspy voice.  
  
Isaac stood up and took a step forward, causing Mia to wake from her slumber. She yawned and stood up as well. Isaac peered into the driver's compartment. "Then we should clearly be back near Vault or at least Vale by now! By the looks of it, we're at - oh god." Isaac looked outside, just in time to see the thick trees of Kolima forest. He unsheathed his blade and walked forward, motioning for Ivan to follow him. The two boys arrived in front, to see the face of not a man from Vale, but a stranger.  
  
"Scouting party," the stranger laughed, looking at the two boys. "Nobody will stop this plan. Without you little goons, they will never know that the attack is coming..they're doomed!" He continued laughing, and jerked the wagon to the side that it knocked the two Adepts off. The wagon then took off.  
  
Isaac and Ivan stood up and smiled. Ivan began counting the seconds like a metronome. "3, 2, 1 - see ya." In the wagon, Mia emerged from the storage area, previously hidden from the driver. She politely tapped him on the shoulder, and as he turned around, surprise, she said, "Didn't see this coming, did you?" She then proceeded to lop off his head with the sharp end of her staff, which was pure metal due to being forge. The head rolled into the back compartment. The wagon, now out of control, was speeding towards a large pool of water. Mia gathered some supplies, then walked to the side entrance and leapt into the air.  
  
She was caught by Isaac, and the two rolled to the brink of the lake. Isaac stood up, then extended a hand to help her to her feet. He knocked some dirt off his clothes and looked up. "Nice job Mia. We kinda expected you would take control of things." The Mercury adept blushed, and had to turn away to hide not only this but an impending giggle.  
  
Ivan walked up to join the two. He looked around and shook his head in disgust. "Am I the only one that notices we are stranded FAR from Vale and Vault, with no wagon now? We'd have to trek through this forest, another Temple and a desert before we could return to home."  
  
Isaac nodded. "Then we don't go that way - we go backwards. I've got a friend in Bilibin that could help us."  
Ivan pulled up a hand to cover his face. "Not this story again." Isaac only smiled, intent on annoying Ivan, then continued the anecdote as they started to backtrack out of the forest. "It all started on a crisp, sunny, spring day."  
  
The quick-to-anger fire adept walked around the staging area north of Kalay. "Men, we are willing enough and strong enough to take back what is rightfully ours." Cheers erupted from the group, sitting around the fire. They numbered into the thousands, a sheer invasion force. "For too long we have dealt with a bad hand that we were given. No more will these people waste the power of true Alchemy. Tonight, we set out to reclaim what they stole from us - our power!" Once again, cheers. "Our freedom!" Yells and whistling now accompanied the massive cheering. "Our very lives!" At this last statement, the entire troop rose up, grabbed their weapons, and break into a massive rush north.  
  
At this time, a female Mars adept walked over to him. "Will they be successful? The destruction of Vale and the release of Alchemy is our last hope to reclaim true power." The male adept smiled, looking at the woman's eyes. "I think you would know the answer to that, being with me for six years. Don't fret, there's nothing to worry about. Everything will go according to plan, Menardi." 


	3. Echoes

Chapter 3  
  
"Here we are."  
  
"What, this?"  
  
"Were you expecting a castle, princess?"  
  
"Well, yeah, it IS a Sanctum."  
  
"This was made ages ago, and probably in a hurry. It's not going to meet all your requirements."  
  
"Oh Garet, sometimes I could really punch your lights out."  
  
"No you wouldn't, because then the guilt would consume you."  
  
Jenna smiled. Garet knew her far too well to be fooled by any tricks she tried to play. After the scuffle between Garet and Piers, Felix had made Garet lead the party, with Piers bringing up the caboose. Jenna, of course, decided to walk in the front with Garet , and it was them that first saw the top of Sol Sanctum.  
  
As they climbed to the very pinnacle, they noticed they were not alone. Soldiers from Vault, warriors from Kalay, fighters from Bilibin and even archers from Lunpa were all here. Lalivero even had sent a few soldiers, arriving mere hours ago, in thanks for the protection of Sheba. Felix began to lay down their supplies in their section of the roof as the rest of his team examined the top of the monument.  
  
Jenna started pointing out locations to Garet from their birds eye view, in the typical way that most girls do. Felix approached them along with Sheba and Piers and started telling them their assignments. "We cannot, at any time," he stated, "Have too many of a certain adept in one area. The order will go as follows: Fire, Earth, Jupiter, Fire, Mercury. That'll keep the defenses strong, and allow one's psynergy compliment someone else's."  
  
Seeing a look of understanding on each of their faces, he continued. "The same villagers that held the boulder back for an amount of time 4 years ago will be behind the barred doors of the Sanctum, focusing on keeping the doors shut. However, we must not let them get to the doors. The Psynergy of five people is no match for the brute force of hundreds. All will equip bows and fire them onto the enemy as they run to the gate. After that, Isaac's small counterattack force will converge on Vale and the attackers from the south. Coming with him will be more soldiers. In the case that they get through the doors, we will regroup in the Sanctum, at the entrance to the bases of the beacons of the four lighthouses. They must not reach the heart of the beacons, or all is lost. Do you understand?"  
  
The group gave nods of agreements, with murmurs of 'Yeah' and 'Sure thing'. Felix absorbed their acknowledgement. "Now," he continued, "Get to work! We don't know how soon they're coming!" At this command, the adepts set about preparing equipment, sharpening swords, and refilling quivers with arrows.  
  
***  
  
"For Jupiter's sake Ivan, could you please keep up?" Isaac had to keep looking back to make sure Ivan had not fallen too far behind. His fitness had really come into play now, as they tried to make up as much time as possible. Mia kept running to show Isaac she would not be some weakling on his quest, but rather a cornerstone that he could rely on frequently.  
  
"There it is, Isaac! I see it up ahead!" Mia's words of excitement refreshed all their legs, and they ran into Bilibin with relative ease. Stopping at the entrance for a break, Isaac pulled aside a young boy to ask him some details. "Excuse me son, but where is your mayor? We desperately need to talk to him." The  
  
boy nodded and pointed to the one medium sized tree in the northwest part of town. Isaac thanked the boy and gave him a Lucky Medal. The trio walked through the piercing stares and vigorous whispers of the citizens to arrive at the mayor's home.  
  
Isaac burst through the double doors of the mayor's house, marking the end of their pilgrimage. "I need transportation," he said, "And I need it now. Vale and even Weyard are at stake." At this, the mayor simply looked at each of his advisors to either side, then laughed. Clearing his throat, he let out a large echo. "And who do you think you are, young man?!?" The soldiers around the court laughed and mocked the small party.  
  
Isaac felt himself fill with rage. "I am the one who saved your village from the wrath of Tret the tree! I am the one who saved Kolima forest! You owe me your hospitality!" Mia quickly made a grab for Isaac's hand to calm him down, but he would not have it. The mayor looked puzzled, sizing Isaac up. Now the Venus adept realized it: they didn't look like their younger versions when they first passed through Bilibin. Plus, Mia was not with them then.  
  
The mayor asked for silence among the whispering. "Enough! The ones who saved us were three young warriors, all male. They were not as big or as strong as all of you, and they would have, by no means, been able to acquire the equipment you currently possess. I find you guilty of libel! Arrest them for the day!"  
  
Mia, Isaac, and Ivan backed into a circle, surrounded by soldiers of the court. Mia, noticing the many torches giving light around the chamber, cast a large douse spell to conceal them in darkness. "Ivan!" she whispered, getting the attention of the young Wind Adept, "Use the shadows to escape!" Ivan didn't have to be told twice. He used his Cloaking Psynergy, obtained from Babi in Tolbi so long ago, and quickly slid out of the house. In a matter of seconds after he left, he heard the roars of the soldiers and shouts of glee from the mayor and his staffers. They had found the traitors.  
  
The Jupiter Adept felt liquid running down his face, that he immediately wiped off. Crying is not something Isaac would do. Crying would not free Isaac and Mia now. Crying would not get them out of this mess. He let anger flow through him, his fists in tight balls like a condensed hedgehog. Hiding his face with a cloak, Ivan slid across the city walls and to the ladder that lead to the underground entrance of Bilibin.  
  
***  
  
He saw a mounted horse riding towards him from the direction of Bilibin. As the animal got closer, the yells of the man atop it became hearable. "Lord Saturos!" the man said, rushing to get his words out, "The spy at Bilibin has said that Kiey has suceeded in drawing them out of position. The road to Vale is open."  
  
At this, Saturos' lips formed a smile. He looked over to Menardi. "Menardi, have every team double-timing it towards Vale. There is no obstacles left to hinder out progress. The road to pure power is clear." The female Mars Adept nodded, and went to the western sector to round up her cavalry.  
  
She soon returned, as men behind her ran to rendezvous with their leaders. "Saturos, there may be a slight miscalculation that could cause a problem." Saturos, hearing these words, jerked his head to the side to stare at her. "What do you mean?" he interrogated, probing her for loyalty.  
  
She showed no sign of emotion. "I'm just afraid the main force is following too soon behind the vanguard. If it's a trap or an ambush, we're finished."  
  
Saturos' lips now moved open from the smile, and from the bowels of his mouth echoed a deep laugh. "Menardi, my dear," he said, "If anyone is to be springing a trap, it is us." He rode forward to join the army, which had already advanced far more than they anticipated.  
  
***  
  
Ivan watched the guard walk by, not budging from his vigil in the shadows. As soon as the sentry had his back completely turned to him, Ivan crept up behind the man and, grabbing his head, held him as a human shield, with a hand clasped over his mouth to muffle the shouts. Ivan focused, concentrating his mind to probe the contents of the guard's. . Ivan then tightened his grip on the guys neck, cutting out oxygen for just the right amount of time to knock him out. He then constructed a Spark Plasma attack to knock out all the lights in the facility. Being totally immersed in darkness, he continued, cloaked as usual.  
  
There was only a few more options left in this cavern. A door to his left, presumably the one with the cell keys, and the cells where he could see Isaac and Mia being held. He saw their weapons laying on a bench which the guard was watching, cautious to any noise. His eyes then picked up a crimson trail on Mia's robe - blood. Apparently, they had to use force to subdue the two adepts.  
  
The Jupiter Adept, weighing his options, slithered like a serpent to the docking bay of the weapons. Soundlessly, he picked up the Venus Blade out of its holster, struggling to lift it with all his strength. The guard, noticing the sudden possession of the blade, but unable to notice the cloaked Ivan, ran to the hallway to get help. Ivan, intent on not facing backup, flung the sword at the escaping soldier, pinning his hand to the wall. Deafening screams were heard, but soon muffled by part of Ivan's cloak. He slipped inside the storage room, obtained the keys, and unlock the door to Isaac and Mia's cells, finally revealing himself.  
  
"Gee Ivan, didn't think you had it in you." Isaac said, smiling at it. He pulled the Gaia Blade from the man's hand, allowing Mia to heal the large hole in the sentry's hand. "Oh, and guard?" Isaac questioned, turning back to face the guard as they left. "This is for touching my girl." The bloodied knuckles of Isaac's right fist were escorted with force into the guard's jaw, knocking him back to the ground. The adepts then proceeded to tie the guard up and gag him, so they could escape without detection.  
  
"Hey Isaac, I've got an idea," Ivan said. "Dunno if you want to, but I can probably steal some horses for us to get back to Vale quicker." Isaac nodded. "Then do it." He said, "We'll meet you at the entrance to the town." Ivan ran off to the stable, cloaking himself again.  
  
Isaac stared into Mia's eyes. "You ok since that-incident?" The blood over her clothes was still highly noticeable.  
  
She nodded, and smiled at him. "I'll be fine. On the brighter side, Ivan and me are starting to build our own body counts."  
  
Even Isaac now smiled. "Yeah, I'd never thought I'd see the day when Mia was beheading people. I always thought I'd be the first one." No laughter followed this, but silence. They both looked at the ground awkwardly, moving around some dirt, until Ivan broke up the conversation (or lack of). "Got the horses, guys." Ivan pushed one to Isaac and another to Mia. "Let's get going, we're two days off schedule."  
  
The wind rushed through Mia's hair as she rode. She often stayed close to Isaac, although he was unsure of how well the horse would handle also. Ivan was the only one who seemed comfortable on top of the beasts - perhaps a side effect of living in Kalay. They soon entered the plateau that led back to Vale, and as they rushed through the grass, they only hoped it was not too late.  
  
***  
  
Felix grabbed the binoculars from Jenna and looked out onto the horizon. According to her, everything was clear now in the ending moments of the sunset. However, she had just complained about getting so many bugs on her during her guard duty and was now proceeding to slice them up for revenge, so he did not know how reliable she was. He triple checked each position, making sure no activity was found. As he slowly swept from left to right, seeing no sign of - wait. That was definitely something. He strained his eyes to look closer. It was a large dog running from the southern edge of Vault. But dogs don't run that fast..Felix then realized the truth and threw down the binoculars. "They are coming! Everybody, in position, they are coming!" The messenger boy waiting on the path ran back to Vale to inform them to lock the city walls. He scattered the bows all over the roof, giving everyone easy access to them. He picked up his binoculars again, now seeing more shapes in view, and much clearer also. However, as he prepared to cast the looking glass aside again, he noticed a man with blue hair. Double-checking the view, he could make out the color of his eyes and the landscape of his face. Realizing the identity, he went to find Jenna and Sheba.  
  
Saturos was coming. 


	4. Reunion

Chapter 4  
  
"It looks like they've spotted us Menardi." Saturos glanced to the top of the Sanctum, squinting his eyes. He noticed a flurry of activity atop the tall monument, and ushered the rest of his troops forward. "I've been waiting for this moment," he said, "Ever since we escaped Venus Lighthouse."  
  
"It wasn't easy, I tell you that." Menardi glanced at her legs, covered with scars from the burns they endured. "We got lucky, though, as Alex did continue his promise to light the Lighthouses."  
  
Saturos shook his head negatively. "Yes, but from what I heard, Alex got what was coming to him atop Mt. Aleph. The Wise One avenged everyone he fooled and used for his own advancement. Enough about the meaningless adept; he matters no more."  
  
The leaders rode on, trailing close behind the vanguard. Vale's front gates were highly visible now - it was only a matter of seconds until they reached it. The first infantry unit turned the last corner, now on the straightaway to the gate. They approached the archway, now five hundred feet away. The soldiers raised their swords, shields, and spears up, ready to make the first contact with the defenses of the city.  
  
The weapons never got there.  
  
The gates quickly opened, and a large boulder rolled through them. Ill-prepared to make a change in direction, the entire first cavalry was wiped out. The gates shut just as quickly as they had opened, leaving the leaders stunned.  
  
"Blasted fools! Mt. Aleph is now permanently active! How could I miss such a calculation!" Saturos smacked his forehead, punishing himself for his stupidity. Menardi looked over to him as they rode. "I told you! We should pull back and regroup now, and let them waste more rocks!"  
  
Saturos, eyes now filled with belligerent rage, glared at his female companion. "No! Don't you see? They are controlling the boulders with their psynergy - the Wise One has granted them this power since the volcano is now always active. We must simply time our attacks. He pulled his horse to the left, breaking apart the army into two smaller forces. "Now, we both feint and charge!"  
  
Both groups pretended to converge on the center, then pulled back a split second before the gates opened. As they opened, they turned around and headed back to the gates, barely missing the boulder. A sizable amount of troops reached the inside, able to knock down the gatekeeper and make it accessable to everyone. The army, not interested in wasting time on villagers, continued up the road, with Saturos yelling in victory.  
  
***  
  
Jenna peered down the great slope that led to Vale. "The first boulder hit! Archers are reporting casualties into the hundreds!" Cheers erupted from the defense force, but Felix motioned for silence. "The battle is not over! Everyone stay alert - I still see no end to their lines, so it looks like we haven't even touched a fraction of them yet."  
  
Jenna, now unknowing what to feel, turned to Garet. "What's going to happen when Saturos and Menardi reach us?" Garet, currently fiddling with a long bow, dropped it on Piers and walked over to Jenna. He put an embracing arm around her. "Nothing's going to happen to you. I am, however, afraid of what's going to happen to them. Go easy on 'em." Garet winked and turned back around, now facing an enraged Piers. Jenna formed a sly smile. Yes, now would be the perfect time to get some revenge.  
  
"JENNA!" The loud shout interrupted her daydream. "That's the third time I called you." Her brother stood before her, out of breath from issuing orders. "You and Sheba need to go down below the roof for right now. We need somebody to-errr-watch the backside."  
  
Jenna saw through this as fast as Sherman through Atlanta. "No. I'm staying right here, and I'm fighting. So is Sheba. We want a piece of those bastards too, don't we Sheba?" Sheba, looking up from listening to Piers, gave a nod, signaling her support.  
  
Felix now grabbed Jenna on the shoulder. "Jenna, that was an order. I'm in charge of the defense, and we need to make sure our flank is clear!" Jenna pulled away from his hand. "The scouts have told us the flank is clear! Besides, the back of the Sanctum is covered by trees and mountaintops!"  
  
The Venus Adept took a step towards Jenna, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her over to the staircase to the lower level. "Jenna, don't make me tell you again! I'm doing this for you!"  
  
She looked at his eyes. "Funny, I'm doing this for me too." She brought her fist up and promptly nailed Felix right in the jaw with it. He fell backwards and onto the steps, quickly stopping his descent. Boiling with rage, the Mars Adept walked over to the edge again with her bow in hand. Felix now got up and, wiping the blood from his face, stared at Jenna. She loaded her bow, and aimed it at her brother. "I will hit you, not in a place to kill, but I will hit you if you try to stop me." The staring contest carried on until a large bird whizzed by Jenna's ear. That was no bird - the people saw that it was instead an arrow, now lodged in the Sanctum wall. Jenna spun around, aiming her bow downward. Seeing the first horseman, she fired, striking him in the eye. Similar arrows followed, some hitting while others following without causing harm. Jenna glanced at the horizon at her brief intervals between firing arrows. It had begun, but where was Isaac's group?  
  
***  
  
"Move in the battering ram!" Menardi yelled, motioning for the advancement of more troops. The large siege weapon had been lugged all the way from Prox from boat and now it was near the end of its long pilgrimage. The cavalry had now reached the gates of the Sanctum and was weakening the insurmountable barrier with their swords. The ram neared the gate as 13 Djinn rained down on the rioting men. Immediately following it, as the clouds darkened. Menardi, shielding her eyes, looked upwards to see the great show happening in the sky. "They summoned Iris."  
  
The men at the gate didn't stand a chance. The large fire burned parts of their bodies in the Sanctum's low walls. Menardi, immediately checking the battering ram, rushed it to the gate before the Djinn recovered. She unlocked the hatch, letting the garrisoned men inside rush out, and the ram began knocking down its lone foe - the wall that determined the fate of the world.  
  
***  
  
Jenna's barrage of arrows claimed another man's life. "Hehe, I'm ahead of you Garet!" She glanced over as the male Mars Adept fumbled with his bow. "This isn't exactly my forte, Jenna." Their taunts were interrupted by Felix, having forgiven Jenna for the attack. "Jenna, since you're our best archer, we need you up here on the roof. I'm just taking Garet, Piers, and Sheba down below to help reinforce the gate. We'll call when we need your Psynergy also."  
  
Jenna nodded, hitting another soldier without even looking down. Jenna had agreed with her brother to work together since their scuffle in order to save their lives. A man to the right of her was nailed by a thrown stone, and he collapsed on the floor. Jenna shivered and nailed the man's assailant with another arrow.  
  
Clenching her fist, she yelled words of revenge at the enemies, who had killed so many of her friends so far. Her eyes filled with fires of rage, as she issued the decree, "Prepare to experience the hell of a Mars Adept!" Some of the men on the ground laughed at this as they continued to hassle the front gates. "Is that a threat, mistriss?" some mocked back.  
  
Jenna silenced one of the laughers with an arrow. "No," she answered, "It's a promise."  
  
***  
  
Felix ran down the steps, leaping over the safety rails instituted to keep order, the complete opposite of what was happening now. He swung from the previous rail and located himself in the square gap between the circumscribing stairs and dropped straight down to the floor. Garet followed, as did Piers with Sheba clutched desperately in his arms.  
  
They ran through a hallway, Felix thrusting open door after door to reach the main hall. Where the hell was Isaac? Reinforcements would be coming from Vault any moment, but they wouldn't be enough. Something must've happened to Isaac.something horrific.  
  
Turning the last corner to the Sanctum's main doors, they saw the girls struggling to keep the door from crashing down, using every ounce of psynergy. Felix ordered his group to aid the villagers, and the trio he commanded started giving assistance to the falling door.  
  
Alas, it was not enough. The door fell to the ground and soon crumbled under the stampede of charging soldiers. Felix and his group drew their swords, fighting as many as possible. He saw, in the background, a soldier every now and then fall dead in his tracks, and smiled knowing his sister was still helping them. Everything was under control - the four of them controlled the choke point with ease, each taking up to 10 soldiers at a time with their psynergy.  
  
Until it happened.  
  
A large blast ripped through the floor, perishing all of the soldiers they were fighting - but also knocking the Adepts on their backs. Two figures walked through the now open archway. "Well, well, well Felix..we meet again." Menardi took a step forward, smiling at the pathetic Venus Adept.  
  
Felix, struggling for strength, lifted his head to look at them. "But - how - you - Lighthouse?" he kept a wary hand on his sword, ready to defend himself or his friends at any cost.  
  
"Ah yes, that was quite a challenge." Saturos shook his head and smiled. "Allow me the honor of telling you. See, we were not killed falling into the bowels of the Lighthouse - as we told you, Mars and Venus share a special relationship. We were merely immobilized for the time being. However, you were so kind to light all of the lighthouses, including Mars. This rekindled our energy and freed us from the dominant grasp of Venus. From there, we returned to a safe Prox, and organized a force to come here."  
  
Menardi gave an affirmative nod. "So you see, we were never dead. Your friends were so kind as to not inflict any mortal wounds on us. And now we have returned, seeking the power stored in this Sanctum." She walked over to where they laid, raising her sword and holding it over Garet. "You know," she said, a smile conquering her mouth, "I liked you the least out of all the annoying kids we faced." She twirled the sword in her hand, then began its slow descent downwards towards Garet's chest, and more importantly, his heart.  
  
A blur of motion knocked the blade out of her hand, sending the blunt end into Saturos, knocking him backwards into a wall. Jenna stood in the doorway, an insane smile across her face and a Djinni on her soldier. She spun her sword in her hand, and sly said, "I always make good on my promises." Leaping into the air, she activated all nine of her Djinn, raining down on the defenseless Menardi.  
  
The stunned Fire adept fell onto the ground herself, unable to block the attack. Saturos, now recovering, met the full blast of two Meteor summons. The two laid in a heap, a safe distance from Felix and his group. Menardi reached up, and, as if her hand had summoned it, a large ray of red light met her outstretched palm, revitalizing us. She laughed at the girl's foolish attempt. "We have learned to harness the power of pure Alchemy. Have you?" Saturos revived himself in the say way, and they stood shoulder to shoulder. In a flash, the two had hit Jenna with the blunt sides of both of their weapons. She collapsed onto Garet, who was nowhere near recovering.  
  
Menardi smiled and stepped over the fallen party. "Now to finish you off.I knew we should've have drowned you when we had the chance." She raised her sword into the air, its hilt meeting the edge of Saturos'.  
  
And in the distance, the sun softly set. 


End file.
